BIC Glide Black Retractable Ballpoint Pens, Medium Point (1.0mm), 4-Count Pack, Ultra Smooth Writing Black Pens

These are the only black pens I use. I have them at home and mostly use them for work. I take lots of notes in my notebook, complete FMLA paperwork, and other legal paperwork. They write extremely well and don't smudge. Why did you pick this product vs others?: I have used this particular brand and color for several years and absolutely love them. Value for money: For the amount of pens you get and the utmost pen quality you're getting, this is a great price point! Cannot find a better price anywhere else. I love that they come in bulk quantity so I don't have to worry about running out of them. Long lasting and I currently have 2 boxes in my desk at work because I didn't want to have to worry and discontinuation of them! Smoothness: Very smooth writing quality with this pen. They do not smudge and I do a lot of writing. Pen quality: Top notch pen quality; couldn't ask for anything better. Writing ability: Love that this is a thinner pen, with the grip on the end with the fingertips. Writes medium-thin size, but not too thick or thin. Perfect for me and all my writing at work. Each pen last quite awhile and I don't have to worry about running out or the pen going dead on me too soon.

They write very smooth. Great pens!

Nice smooth writing pen,good quality and comfortable in hand

I am a mechanic, I need a pen to write paperwork in greasy, dirty environments. I've used bic cristal, kmart pens and even premium $10+ pens. I would always scoff at "Gel" pens, however I bought a pack of these one day at the shops and have sworn by them for over a year now. These pens write clear, bold and smoothly. They really do glide across paper, but they also glide across oil marks, dirt and grease without losing fidelity. Sometimes debris can get stuck on the ball, a simple wipe with a clean rag and the pen continues on. I've never had one stop working, even after dropping them on the tip or using them on contaminated surfaces. The only way you can kill this pen is by using it until the ink is out, putting it in the wash will result in it still working for a surprising amount of time. Only reason why I have to buy more is because I always lose them. On the same token, I would not justify paying more than $1/ea pen. Officeworks and Woolworths used to sell these packs for $4 a pack, this was reasonable and I could justify buying multiple packs, $16 would last me a month or two. Amazon sold these for $3.67 and this was very reasonable, I believe $3 to $3.5 should be the true price as they do have issues. For example they tend to be wasteful with the ink, it won't last long before you have to get a new one. If I used a single pen, it would last about a week and a half, in that time I would have wrote about A4 pages. Furthermore, the mechanism can get stuck, a couple of them would sieze and fail to retract or get stuck in the fully extended position. The materials used do not justify the price, the grip is merely a thin layer of moulded rubber and has no maluable characteristic, infact the tip of my thumb has gotten very sore as I grip pens tightly. Although I haven't yet had the metal clip break on me, it too isn't special, simply bent thin steel and I find it to be a bit tight, catching on the seem of my pocket. To summarise, the BIC Atlantis/Glide is a formidable pen, it's simple, aesthetically pleasing, durable and has a very smooth nib and ink. However the price of the pen is currently inflated, if I was paying more than a dollar for a mass produced pen, I'd expect a better finish with smoother moulds, a more ergonomic grip and a bigger ink chamber. If the price remains above $1/ea, I'll be looking at alternatives like the Anko retractable gel pen or the Keji retractable gel pen. Although their quality is expected to be lesser, their pricing is more grounded to their quality at $0.35-0.38/ea compared to the BIC which is currently $1.25-1.50/ea. I am happy to pay a $0.57-0.65 premium for a reliable, quality pen. However, why would I pay $0.90-1.15 premium for a pen that I'll probably lose halfway through it's lifetime?

These are pretty good pens for the price.